Blog

Over the next couple of weeks road closures will be returning to Wootton Courtenay, for the final part of the BT line and pole replacements. To check out the times of the different closure go to the Wootton website at https://woottoncourtenayvillage.co.uk/2025/09/02/national-grid-works-update/

Door-To-Door Selling Scam

There was a ‘Nottingham Knocker’ incident reported in Wootton Courtenay on Wednesday which turned out to be a scam. A young man was going door-to-door selling household goods, claiming he was ex-Army. A villager bought three items from him and the seller asked for payment by credit or debit card, saying he couldn’t take cash. The villager held their debit card forward to make the £35 contactless payment on the seller’s mobile phone, but he took it and held it over the phone himself. He then claimed the payment hadn’t gone through and held it over the phone again.

After the seller had gone the villager became suspicious and decided to contact their bank. It turned out that the seller hadn’t taken £35 but approximately £90. The villager’s bank has been alerted and they will be intercepting the payment when it is requested by the payment company so that only £35 is paid. However, the villager was shaken by the incident and wanted to warn others who may have fallen foul of the same seller.

Remember, always ask for ID from door-to-door sellers. If someone says they can’t take cash, ask why – after all, cash is legal tender. If an electronic payment doesn’t go through you should receive a receipt to confirm the voided transaction. If in any doubt, simply say ‘no, thank you’ and close the door.

ROYAL BALLET & OPERA:  TOSCA (Opera) As Live

Wednesday 1 October 2025 – 6:45pm

The splendour of Rome. The devastation of war. Puccini’s operatic thriller returns in an epic new production.

SU POLLARD – STILL FULLY CHARGED

Thursday, 2nd October 2025 – 7:30pm

Su Pollard celebrates 50 years in show business in a one-woman variety show packed with fabulous songs, hilarious stories and much-loved characters.    Still Fully Charged shows why Su has become the national treasure she is today, with audiences describing her as ‘a powerhouse of a woman … just brilliant!’, ‘absolutely hilarious’, ‘fabulous, entertaining and nostalgic’, and ‘A-MA-ZING!’.

MOVICALS

Saturday, 4th October 2025 – 7:30pm

Prepare to be transported to a world where the magic of the stage meets the glamour of the big screen. You’ll be taken on a journey through some of the most iconic movie musicals of the last 50 years. From the heart-wrenching drama of Les Miserables, to the infectious beats of Fame to the irresistible charm of Mamma Mia – this show has it all and more!

REGAL FILM SOCIETY – SORRY, BABY (Cert 15)

Tuesday, 7th October 2025, 7:30pm

The first feature film from actor-writer-director Eva Victor shows every sign of future greatness.  Warm, funny and with a serious core Sorry, Baby is a comedy drama described as ‘personal, playful, intimate and honest.’

WISH WE WERE PINK FLOYD

Friday, 10th October 2025 – 7:30pm

The power of Pink Floyd’s iconic songs and sounds are delivered with a stunning light show and professional quality sound played by six musicians with a love for the music and a lifetime of experience to deliver.

 OASIZ Unplugged…

Saturday, 18th October 2025 – 7:30pm

A tribute to one of the defining nights in Oasis history.   OASIZ will pay homage to the most memorable parts of the original unplugged setlist as well as new acoustic versions of classic Oasis anthems.   This show is part of Oasiz’ 2025 UK tour but one of the few times you will get to see them perform this special unplugged set. One not to miss!

ROYAL BALLET & OPERA: LA SONNAMBULA (The Metropolitan Opera)

Tuesday 21 October 2025 – 6:00pm

Nadine Sierra stars as Amina in The Metropolitan Opera’s new production of Bellini’s poignant tale of love lost and found, directed by Rolando Villazón.

GASLIGHT – Barnstormers

Thursday 30^th, Friday 31^st, October, Saturday 1^st November 2025 – 7.30pm.

Step into the shadows with this bold reimagining of Gaslight, the thriller that coined the term. In a world of half-truths and hidden motives, nothing is quite as it seems. Expect tension, ambiguity, and sharp storytelling in a visceral, psychological experience that lingers long after the lights go down.

Tickets for all events may be booked in advance online at https://regaltheatre.co.uk/whatson or from the Box Office (Tel 01643 706430) between 9.30am and 12.00pm Monday – Saturday;

At the Local Area Network meeting this week, Somerset Highways gave an update on the site of the recent coach crash on the A396. The latest news is that the side of the road is too severely damaged to simply reinstate a rail and bollards. The road will require engineering works to support a barrier and this is currently being explored by their engineers. The solution will take some time and the traffic lights and 20mph restriction will remain in situ until the road is fully repaired

The unreliability of the traffic lights at the site was brought up by our Parish Council representatives. The Highways representative explained that because of the position and slope of the road they had to follow specific guidelines. This included a longer than usual delay on red to allow for slow, heavy, vehicle to move uphill from stationary. So, if you seem to have to wait for a long time on red, please be patient.

The position of the site means that battery operated lights have to be used. These are more likely to break down. If you come across non-functioning lights please report them immediately to the Police or to Somerset Highways (during working hours) via the website page “Report a problem on the roads”.

The Highways representative stated that one of the reasons the traffic light are switching off was due to drivers coming through the lights just after they had turned red, to tailgate the vehicle in front. If the traffic lights sense traffic still coming through the lights on red they register a problem and turn off to do a reset.

Please do not be tempted to pass through the lights on red.

You may be the cause of the next  dangerous accident.

Lesley Webb ( Clerk to the PC)